Ministry of Defence

Warships: Procurement

Lord West of Spithead: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many major surface warships were ordered between the 2010 general election and the 2015 general election.

Earl Howe: Her Majesty's Government did not order any major surface warships between the 2010 and 2015 general elections. However, the work to deliver the Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carriers continued during this period and in August 2014 we placed an order for three Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs), which will provide valuable capability to the Royal Navy and sustain the skills needed to build the Type 26 Global Combat Ship.Since the 2015 general election, the White Paper 'National Security Strategy and Strategic Defence and Security Review 2015' (Cmd 9161) has set the Government's commitment to build eight anti-submarine Type 26 Global Combat Ships, preceded by two additional OPVs, and to launch a concept study and then design and build a new class of lighter, flexible general purpose frigate. Additionally, the White Paper confirmed we will buy three new logistic ships to support the fleet, in addition to the four Military Afloat Reach and Sustainability tankers ordered in 2012.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Water: Pollution

Lord Tebbit: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the possible role of the contraceptive chemical E22, which is resistant to water purification techniques, in the increase in number of freshwater and coastal water fish bearing both male and female sexual organs.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: In the UK, environmental regulators, scientific experts and the water industry have been researching the link between the synthetic steroid, 17α-ethinyloestradiol (EE2, used in human oral contraception) and fish populations to understand the role of endocrine disrupting chemicals on the reproductive physiology of fish. Most work has focused on EE2 which has been measured in some of our rivers and downstream of sewage treatment works (STWs); this matches findings in other countries.  Based on scientific evidence from the UK and in Europe, there is reasonable certainty that very low concentrations of EE2 can cause feminisation (intersex condition) in male fish. The incidence of intersex seems to relate to the size of the STWs and the dilution ability of receiving waters. In the UK, fish inhabit comparatively small-sized rivers where limited dilution of EE2 occurs. Conventional STWs can remove EE2 from sewage, but not to the very low levels of less than one nanogramme per litre (ng/L) where no endocrine disrupting effects are predicted. In some cases the impact on fish populations remains unclear, and some affected populations appear to be self-sustaining.  In 2014, EE2 was included on the European Commission’s ‘watch list’ under the Water Framework Directive to gather information on its occurrence in surface waters across the European Union. Data will be reported by the UK and other Member States, and reviewed by the Commission throughout 2017 to assess whether this pharmaceutical is to be prioritised for monitoring and control and is to be included in future versions of the Directive.

Department for Culture, Media and Sport

Sports: Drugs

Lord Moynihan: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of Germany's Anti-Doping Law passed on 13 November 2015 and what plans they have either to use the Fraud Act 2006, or to introduce primary legislation, to enable the prosecution of those who conduct sports fraud through the use of banned performance-enhancing drugs.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: The case for legislation including criminal powers is currently being reviewed by the Department.

UK Anti-doping

Lord Moynihan: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the budget for UK Anti-Doping for each of the last five years; how many specialists it employs; what contractual relationship it has with the International Olympic Committee and the World Anti-Doping Agency to act as a secretariat for the International Olympic Committee Pre-Rio Anti-Doping Taskforce; and what assessment they have made of whether UK Anti-Doping has the resources necessary to fulfil its role effectively.

Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen: The UKAD budget (income and DCMS funding) was £7.2 million in 2011/12; £7.7 million in 2012/13; £7.5 million on 2013/14; and £7.5 million in 2014/15. The 2015/16 total budget is subject to finalised accounts. Its workforce is recruited based on each individual's particular set of skills to help deliver the anti-doping programme effectively. UKAD's role as secretariat to the Pre-Rio Anti-Doping Taskforce is through an agreement with the World Anti-Doping Agency. An additional full-time member of staff has been secured to carry out the task-force work so resources will not be diverted from UK Anti-Doping’s core programmes. As the honourable member will know, shocking allegations of doping in British sport emerged over the weekend, and UKAD's role in investigating the matter. The Secretary of State for DCMS has ordered an urgent independent investigation into what action was taken when these allegations were first received and what more needs to be done to ensure that British sport remains clean. We intend to keep both houses fully informed of developments.

UK Anti-doping

Lord Moynihan: To ask Her Majesty’s Government between which dates the current President of the World Anti-Doping Agency was a consultant to UK Anti-Doping; how much he was paid; and what his responsibilities were.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: Sir Craig Reedie was appointed a Special Advisor to UK Anti-Doping in 2009. The role was created to provide expert advice to UK Anti-Doping, primarily during its formative phase, as and when required. Under this appointment, Sir Craig Reedie was not commissioned to provide any expert advice and therefore received no payment from UK Anti-Doping. He formally stood down from this role on his appointment to President of the World Anti-Doping Agency in 2014.

Olympic Games 2012

Lord Moynihan: To ask Her Majesty’s Government when the Cabinet Office Olympic and Paralympic Legacy Cabinet Committee last met; what is its membership; what is the budget of the Olympic and Paralympic Legacy Unit; and what has been the tangible output of its work in delivering a sports legacy from the London Olympic and Paralympic Games since 2012.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: Government and its Arm's Length Bodies have helped deliver a strong sporting legacy from London 2012, including 1.65 million more people playing sport regularly than when London won the bid for the Games back in 2005; over £1 billion over 4 years invested in youth and community sport; £150 million a year for primary school sport in the 2013-14 academic year and the following two years; and a 13% increase in funding for elite sport for the four years leading to Rio 2016.The Olympic and Paralympic Legacy Cabinet Committee met during the last parliament and was not reconstituted in this parliament. Its membership covered a wide variety of government departments, reflecting the breadth of the government and Mayor of London's legacy plans. The responsibilities and the budget of the Olympic and Paralympic Legacy Unit now fall within the DCMS sport team.

Tennis: Equal Pay

Lord Pendry: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with the International Tennis Federation about the issue of equal prize money for men and women in tennis tournaments.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: HMG has had no such discussions.

Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

Tickets: Sales

Lord Moynihan: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what progress they have made in discussions with the European Commission about whether it would be in accordance with the EU Consumer Rights Directive for both primary and secondary market ticket sellers to be required to provide a unique reference number to ensure event organisers can track ticket sales.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: Her Majesty's Government is satisfied that it has a clear understanding of the constraints on legislation imposed by the Consumer Rights Directive and has not to date sought discussions with the European Commission on this matter.

Recall of Unsafe Products Review

Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town: To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they will announce the membership of the Steering Group referred to on page eight of the Government's Response to the Independent Recall Review by Lynn Faulds Wood, published by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills on 18 February.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: On 11 March, The Minister of State for Small Business, Industry and Enterprise wrote to potential candidates who have until 6 April to respond. We will issue a statement shortly after.